Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 144: The Power of the Daleks, Episode Three

Dear diary,

The problem with a story like The Power of the Daleks, when I'm enjoying it so much, is that I never have all that much to write about once it's finished. It all rather falls into the trap of me simply repeating myself over, and over, and over, etc. To that end, I'd like to apologise - today's post may feel a bit like deja vu in places!

They really are playing the Daleks as a slow-burn here, aren't they? I praised the way the reveal was handled back at the end of Episode One, and the way the Dalek finally spoke at the end of Episode Two, and now we're given another great Dalek-based cliffhanger as the other two pepper pots are reactivated and surround Lesterson, chanting in unison 'we will get our power!'

By the third episode of The Daleks, we were already watching them scheme against the Thals. By this stage in The Dalek Invasion of Earth, the Doctor and his friends were beginning to draw up plans to defeat them. Here, we're edging slowly, oh so very slowly, towards the real threat of the Daleks. I keep waiting for it to fall flat. Somewhere, in the back of my mind, I can't quite believe that they can draw the tension out any further, but it's being pulled off with a real skill.

It helps that we're being slowly drip-fed more information about what's happening in the colony. Here, we discover that the guest cast aren't all as naive about the Daleks as we've been led to believe, and that there's several games in play at the moment. It adds a new dimension to events, especially since we know that the Daleks will never consent to being one person's private army. I'm becoming more-and-more convinced that this story could end with everyone being killed - were this a season earlier, I'd be sure of it.

Things like this are all helping to keep the interest levels high. There's so much going on, and all the characters are so richly-drawn, that I'm not being given time to be bored by events. We're still moving along with the story of who shot the real Examiner (thug that's been pretty much confirmed, here, and we're at a stalemate), everyone is double-crossing everyone else, and Polly's been kidnapped. I can only assume that Anneke Wills was due a week off, and won't be with us for tomorrow's episode.

That's not altogether a bad thing, though! The time we spend today with just the Doctor and Ben exploring are fantastic, and the chance to hear more of that is one that appeals to me. He's almost - but not quite - accepting that this is the Doctor, now, so that could be interesting to explore if they're given the time to do it in the next episode. I mentioned back during The War Machines that Polly had always felt like the more present of the 'Ben and Polly' companionship, but that feels less true now that I'm hearing it all properly. Ben is quickly becoming another one of my favourite companions, and it's gratifying to hear him working as well with Troughton as he did with Hartnell.

While on the subject; three episodes in and I'm not doubting this new man as the Doctor at all. It does help, of course, that I know he's the Doctor, and how long he'll stick around, and how often he'll return to the role, but in terms of following the overall story of Doctor Who in order, I'm completely sold. All that stuff during the end of The Tenth Planet and the first episode of this story that made the changeover scary, and something that you wouldn't want to trust has pretty much melted away now, and we're simply left with a new Doctor.

Someone commented to me yesterday that Troughton in his earliest stories plays a Doctor slightly different to the one he plays for much of his tenure, but I have to confess that from where I'm positioned right now, I simply can't tell. He's playing his recorder much more, certainly, but otherwise he just feels right as the Doctor. I've not had cause to question him yet.

As the episode ended, my phone flashed up to warn me that there was only 10% battery remaining, and I listened right to the end of the theme music in the hope that the battery might die and I could make a wonderful (or woeful, take your pick) 'I will get my power!' joke to end today's entry, but it's still clinging on, so I guess I'll have to go without. Bah.

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 143: The Power of the Daleks, Episode Two

Dear diary,

It's always something of a joke among Doctor Who fans that when you've got a story with a title that ends …of the Daleks, then the cliffhanger to episode one will be the shock reveal of… Dun Dun Dun! You've guessed it. Sometimes it works really well, and this story is one of those times. I praised the cliffhanger enough yesterday, even going so far as to call it the best cliffhanger we'd had since the start of The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and now today's episode has gone and topped it!

It's a bold move, still at the tail end of the Dalekmania craze, to make the audience wait this long for some proper Dalek action. We're now 50 minutes into this story, and we've only just heard one of the creatures speak for the very first time (though he repeats himself enough to make up for it). And yet, you know what? It works! If anything, it's making the Daleks here seem like more of a threat, because I'm anticipating a moment when they'll stop playing dead and just massacre the whole bloody colony!

There's a great scene in this episode, where Lesterson is experimenting by hooking up small amounts of power to the Daleks and recording the results. In the middle of one experiment, the Dalek gun goes off and shoots another scientist. It's terrifying! It comes only a few moments after they'd been wondering what the shorter arm might be for, and it comes so out of nowhere that it really did surprise me. There's a real sense of tension to this story that we've just not had with the Daleks before.

So then, when they've finally managed to revive one of the pepper pots properly, it comes along, fixes its eye square on the Doctor, and then announces to the room that it's their servant! I've joked about the repetition above, but it really does work, and it helps to build up the tension. We know what the Daleks are really like, so what's actually going on here!?! We've even been given a handy reminder from the Doctor that a single Dalek is more than enough to wipe out all the life in the colony. It's a clever move to bring the Doctor's greatest enemy back for the first story with a new actor, and it looks like the Dalek's recognition of him may start to swing Ben's opinion a little, but they've never been used in such an odd way before! I love it.

Elsewhere, Troughton is continuing to win my affections with pretty much everything he says and does. We've another scene of him answering questions with a recorder (it's amusing me now, but I'm glad it's not something he'll do for the full three years - it could wear thin very quickly!), and plenty of other humour from him. There's a great moment when he points out that his badge says he's allowed full access, and adds that it doesn't then exclude the laboratory. It's played spot on, and really did raise a smile.

Also brilliant was the reference to China, and the Doctor's vague memory that he'd been there once, and met Marco Polo. There's starting to be more and more of these little nods to the First Doctor throughout this episode, and it feels like they're easing you into accepting this new fellow as the same man. It's interesting to see tis happening as a sideline to the main story, as opposed to getting it out of the way, before going on to do the rest of the plot (Castrovalva, I'm glaring at you…).

Now, it's either going to go one way or another with the Dalek reawoken. There's a real danger of things going off the rails, and leaving us with a standard Dalek runaround. Equally, there's a slim chance that they might be able to sustain the tension built up so far and keep it going for a little longer yet. I'm guessing you can guess which camp I'm firmly hoping for…

8/10 

Will Brooks’ 50 Year Diary - watching Doctor Who one episode a day from the very start... 

Day 142: The Power of the Daleks, Episode One

Dear diary,

I've always found that the events immediately following a regeneration are the bits of that event I enjoy the most. I mean, sure, it's fun enough watching the Doctor take his final few steps and head toward the end, but then you get to start fresh and new! It's exciting! At the end of yesterday's entry, with William Hartnell laying on the floor of the TARDIS, as the picture grew brighter and brighter, I was really, truly, sad to watch him go. Ten minutes into this episode, and Hartnell is old news.

I was worried that it would take me a while to get used to having Troughton around. I've always ranked him as my favourite of the 'classic' Doctors, but having spent so long with only William Hartnell in the role (and Matt Smith, when I watch the new episodes, but really it's so far removed from what Doctor Who is doing in the 1960s that it may as well be a whole different programme), I feared that accepting another Doctor would be a problem. A few days ago, I saw a trailer for Seventh Doctor story Battlefield, and it just looked wrong. That wasn't Doctor Who. For a start, where was the Doctor? My Doctor? The original?

Troughton really does hit the ground running here, doesn't he? With the benefit of watching it 40-something years on, I know that he's one of the best, and that he'll do three seasons and a number of return appearances. I know how good he can be… but there doesn't even seem to be a period of settling in. From the second he sits up in the TARDIS, he simply is the Doctor. Everything he says, everything he does, he's the Doctor. And that's fantastic! Especially in light of the fact that they really aren't trying to reassure you with any of this, are they?

I said yesterday how surprised I was that they were playing the changeover in the Doctors as something to be frightened of, and making it as un-cosy for the kids watching at home as they possibly could. This is carried on completely here into this story, with the Doctor acting more than simply odd… he's really bloody sinister! There's a moment when he mutters out loud to himself 'It's over! It's over!' and he gives a little laugh. That laugh is one of the creepiest things we've ever heard in the programme! It's also a nice counterpoint to Hartnell's line in yesterday's episode ('It's far from being all over!'), which helps to tie it all together a bit.

We get the shot of the Doctor holding the mirror, and the appearance of the First Doctor's face showing up (which thankfully exists among the tele snaps for this episode), but aside from that we're really given very few things to latch onto. This strange little man continues to refer to 'the Doctor' in the third person - even after Ben snaps at him about it - and simply refuses to answer questions, choosing to play on his recorder instead. There's a lengthy scene set inside some guest quarters on the base, in which the Doctor responds to his companions by blowing a few times into the instrument, and it's brilliant. He's very funny, while still remaining very creepy.

I'm also pleased to see that Ben and Polly's characters are still being drawn so clearly as we move into the Second Doctor's era. Polly is far quicker to accept that they're faced with the same man, whereas Ben is still sceptical at the end of the instalment. I'm hoping that it gradually dies away as the story goes on, rather than just disappearing now that we're out of the 'first' new Doctor episode. It's nice to hear the Doctor disregarding Ben, too, as though it's not worth interacting with him until he'll accept that it's still the Doctor in there, somewhere.

The whole episode has been a brilliantly enjoyable experience, and I'm so pleased that I've moved so seamlessly into this new phase of the programme. I was dreading the thought of just not taking to a new Doctor, so it's lovely to find that it's not the case. It helps that the episode itself is a very good one, too. There's a risk that all the stuff outside in the mercury swamp could become a bit tedious, as the new Doctor unwittingly dodges obstacles, but it all feels fresh and different. You just can't imagine Hartnell doing that scene. It's strange that it should feel so far removed from the programme I've been watching since January, but introducing Troughton really does make a difference. It probably helps that I'm listening to this on audio, and while I've the tele snaps of the swamp to guide me, I can imagine it as I like. It's orange in my head, since you ask. Always has been, since the very first time I saw that image of the Doctor walking along, reading from his diary.

And then there's the final scene, as the Doctor and his companions make their way inside the capsule and come face-to-face with the Daleks. It's helped by Anneke Wills' narration on the soundtrack, as she described Polly and Ben deftly sneaking along behind the Doctor, who doesn't even turn round as he utters the first line to be spoken in minutes - 'Polly… Ben… Come in and meet the Daleks…'

The tele snaps for this sequence makes it look gorgeous, too, with the cobwebs hung between the dead (?!) Daleks and the real sense of gloom that fills the scene. There's a great shot of Troughton close up as he inspects one, and it simply looks beautiful. Then we've got the realisetion that we're missing one of the creatures, and a real look at a Dalek mutant for the first time. I think, if I'm being totally honest, this might be the best Dalek-related cliffhanger since the lone creature rising from the waters of the Thames a full two seasons ago.

A great start - even better than I could have ever hoped for!

9/10 

The second instalment in a sensational series of stories celebrating the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who is written by Michael Scott, best-selling author of The Immortal Nicholas Flamel.

Speaking to DWO on the @DrWhoOnline Twitter account, Scott (@FlamelAuthor), had the following to say on his upcoming title:

"I was thrilled to be asked. Dr's one of the reasons I ultimately became a writer! And I started with Patrick Troughton too."

Synopsis:

When Jamie McCrimmon brings the Second Doctor a mysterious book, little does he realise the danger contained within its pages. 

The book transports the TARDIS to a terrifying glass city on a distant world, where the Archons are intent on getting revenge on the Time Lord for an ancient grudge.

Eleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.

+  The Nameless City is released on 23rd February 2013, Priced £1.99.

+  Preorder this eBook from iTunes for £1.99.

+  Preorder this eBook on Amazon for £1.99.

[Source: Puffin Books]

It is with deepest regret that DWO announces the passing of Classic Series Doctor Who Actor, Michael Turner.

Michael was perhaps best known to Doctor Who fans for his role as Jarvis Bennett on the 2nd Doctor adventure; The Wheel in Space.

DWO would like to extend our sympathies to Michael's family and friends.

[Source: Neil Marsh]

Manufacturer: BBC Worldwide Consumer Products

Written By: Robert Holmes

RRP: £20.42

Release Date: 2nd July 2012

Reviewed By: Dale Who for Doctor Who Online

Review Posted: 31st July 2012

The Doctor (Patrick Troughton, on top form) steps from the TARDIS into a planet inhabited by not very bright people. These people - The Gonds - are bred and taught to be two-legged cattle, no more and no less. They mill around and get on with their lives, quite happy with the fact that they've been feeding their best and brightest (a bit of an oxymoron considering) to a machine for the past couple of generations; in the mistaken belief that they will be "companions to the Krotons". What they've actually beeing doing is providing target practice for the inbuilt system that gets rid of thickies.

Together with Zoe (Wendy Padbury) and Jamie (Frazer Hines), The Doctor must pit his wits against the owners of the machine, The Krotons themselves; strangely accented giant vacuum cleaners with ideas above their station. The task they face is huge: defeat The Krotons, teach The Gonds how to fight back effectively, and reverse the conditioning and stupidity that the learning machines (another oxymoron) instil into the populace.

This four-part story, release as a single disc from BBC Worldwide, showcases Patrick Troughton's Doctor perfectly. From the moment he emerges from the Police Box exterior of the TARDIS he's obviously completely in his element. He takes charge of situations with ease, and you get the feeling that this is a very easy day for him; almost a distraction to stop him from getting bored. Zoe manages to cause a lot of trouble and needs rescuing, and Jamie... isn't given a great deal to do.

Notable for the only appearance to date of the TARDIS' H.A.D.S - a very clever idea; The Krotons is a fairly fast moving tale that entertains effortlessly, even if a few of the effects are somewhat less than special.

The usual magic has been woven on the story's audio and visual properties and is pin sharp as a result, and as happens with some of the older Who stories the black and white print works really well for the story, and lends a credence to the alien world and the Krotons themselves.

Special Features:

Commentary - Toby Hadoke talks over the credits again to introduce the people around the table for The Krotons. On this occasion, they are: cast wise, the late, great Philip Madoc (Eelek in this story, and so many other roles in Doctor Who), Richard Ireson (Axus), and Gilbert Wynne (Thara). From the technical and behind the scenes department are Richard Tilley (assistant floor manager), Sylvia James (make up designer), Bobi Bartlett (costume designer) and Brian Hodgson (special sound guru, and the man who invented the TARDIS demat noise!)

Informative as ever and gently entertaining, and always kept in good humour by Hadoke, the commentary doesn't stand out as one of the most memorable in the DVD series, but it's certainly not bad. It might have possibly been helped by having one of the main cast - either Padbury or Hines, present to lend it some more humour and a different perspective for some parts.

Second Time Around - A look at the reinvention of Doctor Who into the Troughton era; both in direction and and portrayal. This behind the scenes look at the show's renewal has contributions from Anneke Wills (Polly to the First and Second Doctors), Frazer Hines (Jamie), Deborah Watling (Victoria), Wendy Padbury (Zoe), Christopher Barry and modern era Doctor Who writers Rob Shearman and Gary Russell.  

An honest look that finally lays to rest the myth that William Hartnell chose to leave, and the ins and outs of the companions' entrances and exits and the transition from the historical adventure to the monster era of Doctor Who. It also covers the episode junkings of the 1960s, when the archive started being wiped for the sake of space. Informative, if a little talky, but entertaining and the narrative flows very easily.

Doctor Who Stories - Frazer Hines: Part One - With the usual animated beginnIng (albeit tailored to his run on the programme) Frazer Hines talks us through his time on Who. The footage used is not new, it's culled from 2003 and The Story of Doctor Who. It's fast and not terribly in-depth, but Frazer is always engaging and entertaining, so there's no chance of boredom creeping in.

For a short piece, the gentleness and informality of the extra turn it into something wonderful, and you can tell from first glance that Frazer still holds a great deal of affection for Jamie McCrimmon.

The Doctor's Strange Love: The Krotons - Oh. They're back. "Simon Gond" and "Joe Gond" (this time without "Josie Gond") are back in Sarah Jane's attic to discuss The Krotons. Unlike the other instalments of this extra series, this one's not actually bad at all; the duo seem to be a lot more positive about the story, and a decent discussion about the best elements of The Krotons ensues. A huge, quantum leap of an improvement on the previous editions as the sillyness and the constant barbing has been removed.

There's a lot to like in this little extra, and with the removal of the sneering tone, and a look at what's good, great, and works well in the televised story, this Doctor's Strange Love manages to go a long way towards redeeming itself.

Coming Soon Trailer - Do you like the circus? The Psychic Circus is certainly different to most others you might have visited: The Doctor, Ace, a robot from Rentaghost, a werewolf and the gods of Ragnarock. Robot ticket inspectors and sinister clowns. All coming soon to a DVD near you, as The Greatest Show In The Galaxy is the next release off the starting blocks.

There's Audio Navigation for those who many want or need it, and the usual helping of Info Text to give you facts and figures on-screen during the story included too. Add in the Radio Times Listings available in PDF format if you're viewing the content on a computer; and a Photo Gallery of publicity and behind the scenes stills of the story, and you have The Krotons on DVD.

Whilst the story itself may not be an all-conquering fan favourite, this DVD has plenty going for it. It's one of the few complete Troughton stories, and shows perfectly just what an amazing Doctor Patrick was. The Krotons, although hardly terrifying, are a decently realised adversary, and the story keeps a cracking pace through it's four episodes. The extras put on the disc, whilst hardly numerous, are some of the best produced (especially "Second Time Around") and with Mssrs. Guerrier and Lidster upping their game considerably this is a well rounded, great value release.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

BBC Books have sent DWO the cover & details for the July release of The Wheel of Ice by Steven Baxter.

The Wheel of Ice

Written by: Stephen Baxter

Resilience. Remembrance. Resolution. Whatever the cost.

She had no name. She had only her mission - she would return Home. And bathe in the light of a long-dead sun... Even if it meant the sacrifice of this pointless little moon to do it.

The Wheel of Ice: a ring of ice and steel turning around a moon of Saturn, home to a colony mining minerals for a resource-hungry future Earth. A bad place to grow up.

The Wheel has been plagued by problems. Maybe it's just gremlins, just bad luck. But what's the truth of the children's stories of 'Blue Dolls' glimpsed aboard the gigantic facility? And why won't the children go down the warren-like mines? And then sixteen-year-old Phee Laws, surfing Saturn's rings, saves an enigmatic blue box from destruction.

Aboard the Wheel, The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find a critical situation - and three strangers who have just turned up out of nowhere look like prime candidates to be accused of sabotage ... The Doctor finds himself caught up in a mystery that goes right back to the creation of the solar system. But it's a mystery that could have dire repercussions for the people on the Wheel. It's a mystery that could kill them all.

A thrilling, all-new adventure featuring the Second Doctor, as played by Patrick Troughton in the legendary, classic series from BBC Television.

+  The Wheel of Ice is released on 16th August 2012, priced £16.99 (HB).

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com!

[Source: BBC Books]

BBC Consumer Products have sent DWO the cover and details for the Doctor Who DVD release of The Krotons.

The Krotons

Featuring: The 2nd Doctor

When the TARDIS arrives on the planet of the Gonds, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover a world ruled and enslaved by the Krotons. The brightest Gonds are always chosen to serve as companions of the Krotons and are never seen again.

The Doctor and his companions decide to put a stop to their rule – but in doing so, inadvertently unleash the true power and terror of the Krotons instead...

Special Features:

•  Commentary With actors Philip Madoc (Eelek), Richard Ireson (Axus) and Gilbert Wynne (Thara), assistant floor manager David Tilley, make-up designer Sylvia James, costume designer Bobi Bartlett and special sounds designer Brian Hodgson. Moderated by Toby Hadoke.
•  Second Time Around Faced with William Hartnell’s deteriorating health but with a popular TV programme on their hands, the Doctor Who production team hit on the idea of ‘regenerating’ the show’s hero. This documentary looks back over Patrick Troughton’s tenure as the Second Doctor.
•  Doctor Who Stories – Frazer Hines (part one) Actor Frazer Hines reminisces about his time on the series in an interview originally recorded in 2003 for the BBC’s Story of Doctor Who.
•  The Doctor’s Strange Love Writers Joseph Lidster and Simon Guerrier take an affectionate look at The Krotons.
•  Radio Times Listings (DVD-ROM)
•  Programme Subtitles
•  Production Information Subtitles
•  Photo Gallery
•  Coming Soon Trailer
•  Digitally Remastered Picture and Sound Quality

+  The Krotons is released on 2nd July 2012, priced £20.42.

+  Compare Prices for this product on CompareTheDalek.com.

[Source: BBC Consumer Products]

Nothing at the End of the Lane is proud to present a new scriptbook, this time focusing on the unmade Second Doctor story from 1968, The Prison in Space.

“You leave this to me. There’s a special technique required in handling women...” - The Doctor 

When the TARDIS lands on the rooftop garden belonging to Chairman Babs, the travellers find themselves on a planet ruled by women. Tried and condemned to serve a sentence on an orbiting space prison, the Doctor and Jamie must use their ingenuity to break free and rescue Zoe, who has been conditioned to unquestioningly accept the rule of Chairman Babs... 

Eager to inject some humour into the series, producer Innes Lloyd called upon experienced scriptwriter, Dick Sharples, to come up with a story that would inject a lighter tone into Doctor Who. That adventure was The Prison in Space, originally envisioned to write out the character of Jamie and introduce a new companion called Nik - and it's a story that was just a hair's-breadth away from being made. 

The 268-page illustrated softcover book contains:

Facsimiles of Dick Sharples' original scene breakdown along with all four of his second draft scripts for The Prison in Space, reproduced directly from the original script pages.

A look at the history, development and cancellation of The Prison in Space by Richard Bignell.

Reviews of the story by Doctor Who Magazine's original Time Team, Jonathan Morris and Paul Scoones.

Copies of the original outline, scene breakdown and revised scene breakdown for the story originally intended to follow The Prison in Space, Brian Hayles' second Ice Warrior story, The Lords of the Red Planet.

Andrew Pixley looks back at the production of Season Six in Winds of Change and tries to make some sense of what we currently understand happened during Troughton's turbulent final series.

Artwork by Jason Fletcher, Westley Smith and Adrian Salmon.

The book costs £16.50 and orders can be placed through the new Nothing at the End of the Lane website - www.endofthelane.co.uk.

[Source: Nothing At The End Of The Lane]